1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in stringed musical instruments and, more particularly, to stringed musical instruments of the type having an elongate neck and a body and which are capable of generating sounds in response to vibration of strings extending across that body and with fingerboards substitutable for one another on the neck of that instrument and with a unique interlocking means cooperating between the neck of the musical instrument and the fingerboard to allow removable attachment of the fingerboards to the neck of the instrument.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In stringed musical instruments the useful or active length of the string is adjusted by pressing the string against a fingerboard on the upper surface of the neck. In generally all cases, the fingerboard is an integral part of the neck of the musical instrument, or otherwise it is permanently affixed to the neck. However, some musical instruments are provided with frets on the fingerboard and are typically referred to as xe2x80x9cfrettedxe2x80x9d musical instruments which allows the user to engage the string of the instrument against a fret so that a useful length is achieved equal to the distance between the fret and the bridge. This will create a note of precisely defined timber and also of metallic character. Other instruments without frets are often referred to as xe2x80x9cfretlessxe2x80x9d instruments and the useful length of the string is determined by the distance between the point at which the player keeps the string pressed against the fingerboard and the bridge. In absence of the fret, there is a lack of metallic quality to the sound and the sound also has a softer character.
It is, however, important in connection with any stringed musical instrument to insure that the distance between the string in its normal unactuated condition and the upper surface of the fingerboard is precisely controlled and remains the same. Otherwise, if this distance should effectively change, even by a small amount, the musical quality of the instrument is altered and frequently to the detriment of the generated sounds. Moreover, it is critical in connection with any stringed musical instrument to insure that the fingerboard is tightly mounted onto the neck of the musical instrument. Otherwise, vibrations between the fingerboard and the neck of the instrument would be generated and this, again, results in a deficit of the musical quality.
It may be appreciated that for certain musical pieces, fretted instruments are desired and for other musical pieces, fretless instruments are desired. However, since there is no convenient means for altering an instrument with frets, or without frets, the average musician must constantly carry at least two such instruments, one containing frets and one without frets. In particular, for the base guitar and the slide or so-called xe2x80x9cbottle neckxe2x80x9d six-string guitar, each player almost inevitably carries at least two musical instruments for this purpose. However, this limits the player in attaining the desired musical flexibility while retaining the feel and capabilities of a preferred instrument.
There have been at least two proposals to provide a stringed musical instruments with interchangeable fingerboards. One such proposed arrangement is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,813, dated Feb. 6, 1979, to Stone, et al. In this patent, Stone, et al proposed interchangeable fingerboards having differed fret arrangements, but never suggested the concept of substituting a fretted board for a non-fretted board. Sonte, et al did suggest the mounting of a fingerboard to a musical instrument in a detachable fashion, but pointed out the critical problem of potential vibration which can result between the neck of the instrument and the fingerboard. The Stone, et al ""813 patent, however, proposed groove arrangements in both the underside of the fingerboard and the upper surface of the instrument neck.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,143, dated Jan. 2, 1979, to Stone, the patentee employs a plurality of very closely spaced apart grooves on the underside of the fingerboard and projections on the upper surface of the neck. These grooves and projections are longitudinally spaced apart from one another by very short distances and, hence, a large number of such grooves and projections are employed. Although Stone may potentially eliminate the problems of vibration, this arrangement also creates a rigidity and does not allow the fingerboard to conform to the arc of the neck accounting for the normal flexing of the neck and makes insertion of the fingerboard virtually impossible. Consequently, the arrangements in the Stone, et al ""183 and in the Stone ""143 patents have not been effectively commercially utilized.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,450 to Novack also discloses different fret arrangements for use on musical instruments. However, the fingerboards containing these different fret patterns are not removably mounted on the neck of the musical instrument, as such.
There have been several attempts in the prior art to provide stringed musical instruments in which frets can be used or withdrawn. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,936 to Mouton, there is provided a stringed musical instrument having retractable frets. In this case, an electric base guitar is provided with retractable frets, such that in one position, the frets are flush with the surface of the fingerboard and, in another position, the frets are raised above the surface of the fingerboard. The neck of the instrument has an inclined slope on one side causing wedge shaped feet on the frets to ride on this inclined slope for raising and lowering the frets.
There is a also a proposed stringed musical instrument having retractable frets described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,260 to Pigozzi. In this case, a guitar has a fingerboard in which the frets are slidably disposed within the neck holding the fingerboard. a rather complex mechanism, including cams, springs and a rotatable shaft, are provided for raising and lowering the frets. While this type of instrument may be attractive in theory, as a matter of practicality, the mechanism used is quite complex and significantly adds to the overall weight, and certainly to the cost of the musical instrument.
In each of the aforesaid prior art systems for providing frets and effectively removing frets, they would be inherently slow and cumbersome. Consequently, these systems are not effective for the average musician who desires to quickly change from a fretted instrument to a fretless instrument. As a result, systems of the types proposed in these patents have not been effectively used.
There has clearly been a need for a single musical instrument which can be properly tuned and adapted to the particular use of a certain musician. Clearly, the complex and unworkable proposals advanced in the Pigozzi patent and in the aforesaid patent to Mouton have not been effective and not usable in terms of converting a single musical instrument from a fretted instrument to a non-fretted instrument. Moreover, and although the aforesaid Stone patents suggested the changing of fingerboards, Stone never suggested the alteration of the same musical instrument from a non-fretted to a fretted instrument. In addition, the interlocking arrangement of the fingerboard to the neck of the musical instrument was literally unusable in actual operation due to the complexity and difficulty of changing one fingerboard for another. Thus, this need has existed and still remains.
In each of the aforesaid utility patent applications, there are provided means for releasably attaching the fingerboards to the neck of the musical instrument. In each of those aforesaid utility patent applications, the attachment means relied upon longitudinally spaced apart upstanding interlocking elements with interlocking grooves on the underside of the removable fingerboards. In the present invention, there is provided an even more improved means for attaching the fingerboards to the neck of the musical instrument.
It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a stringed musical instrument of the type having an elongate neck with a plurality of fingerboard which are easily and readily substitutable for one another on the neck of the musical instrument.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a stringed musical instrument of the type stated in which one fingerboard can be rapidly removed from the neck of a musical instrument and another fingerboard inserted back onto the neck of the musical instrument by initially shifting the fingerboard laterally with respect to the neck of the musical instrument and then slidably shifting the fingerboard longitudinally to install the fingerboard on the neck.
It is another objection of the present invention to provide a stringed musical instrument of the type stated in which a fretted fingerboard can be substituted for a non-fretted fingerboard and vice versa by using the shiftable movement mentioned above.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a stringed musical instrument of the type stated in which the thicknesses of the substitutable fingerboards and the means for mounting the fingerboards are maintained so that the distance between the playing surface of the fingerboard and the strings of the instrument effectively remain the same.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a stringed musical instrument of the type stated in which fingerboards can be rapidly replaced for one another and removably mounted on the neck of the musical instrument by insertion of longitudinally extending upstanding locking element on the neck of the musical instrument in a corresponding groove located to receive that locking element on the underside of the fingerboard.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a stringed musical instrument of the type stated in which the locking means for releasably locking a fingerboard to the neck of the musical instrument also provides for proper lateral alignment of the fingerboard and proper longitudinal alignment of the fingerboard with respect to the neck of the musical instrument when mounted thereon.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a method of converting a stringed musical instrument from a fretted musical instrument to an unfretted musical instrument.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for mounting a fingerboard on the neck of a musical instrument by initially shifting the fingerboard laterally and then shifting the fingerboard longitudinally with respect to the neck of the musical instrument.
With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, arrangement and combination of parts and components presently described and pointed out in the claims.
The present invention relates in general to stringed musical instruments of the type which have an elongate neck and a body with a resonant cavity at one end of the neck and a head at the other end of the neck. Strings are stretched across the neck and over the resonant cavity body. Vibration of the strings results in the generation of musical sounds. This holds true for both the non-electric type musical instrument, as well as electrical musical instruments. The latter type of instrument is fitted with transducers to enable the generation of musical sound.
In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, as hereinafter set forth, an electric base guitar is illustrated. Moreover, this instrument is provided, in normal construction, with four strings. However, any stringed musical instrument, e.g., five string, six string musical instruments, etc., can also be used in accordance with the present invention. Although the invention is designed for the substitution of fretted fingerboards for non-fretted fingerboards and of non-fretted fingerboards for fretted fingerboards, it should be recognized that the attachment means used for attaching the fingerboards to the neck of the musical instrument could be used for attaching one type of fingerboard for another, whether or not fretted or non-fretted.
In all embodiments of the invention, a fingerboard is provided on the neck of the musical instrument. This invention relates in a broad aspect to a means for removing a fingerboard, such as a fretted fingerboard and substituting on the neck a non-fretted fingerboard and vice versa. Preferably, although not necessarily, the means for removing the fingerboard and repositioning a different fingerboard does not require manually manipulating mechanical fasteners.
It is important in connection with the present invention that the removal of one fingerboard and the remounting of another fingerboard be accomplished very quickly and with minimal amount of manual manipulation. In this way, a musician can readily change from a fretted musical instrument to an non-fretted musical instrument using essentially the same musical instrument, but with different fingerboards and without need for readjustment of the instrument.
It is also important in connection with the present invention to insure that when the fingerboard is mounted to the neck of the musical instrument, there is no relative vibration existing between the fingerboard and the neck of the instrument. In other words, the fingerboard should not vibrate independently of the neck of the instrument. In addition, it should not bind the neck and otherwise inhibit the neck from its natural bending or bowing function.
In addition to the foregoing, the height of the fingerboard relative to the underside of the strings must be carefully maintained. There is a precise pre-established distance between the strings and the surface which is contacted by the strings during the playing of the musical instrument. In the case of the fingerboard having frets thereon, the strings would be normally depressed for a lesser distance then they would be if a fingerboard was used on the instrument and the strings were pushed into contact with the surface of that fingerboard. In that event, the musical instrument would effectively be out of adjustment when substituting a fretted fingerboard for a non-fretted fingerboard and vice versa.
In accordance with the present invention, the non-fretted fingerboard has a thickness which is greater than the thickness of the fretted fingerboard by the height of the frets on the fretted fingerboard. In other words, the thickness of the fretted fingerboard plus the distance that the frets extend above the fretted fingerboard is equal to the overall thickness of the fretless fingerboard. In this way, the strings will be depressed for the same distance on both the fretted and the non-fretted fingerboard.
The present invention actually provides a unique and highly effective mounting means for releasably mounting the fingerboard to the neck of the musical instrument. This locking means does not require the need for mechanical fasteners to be manipulated or adjusted. In my co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/273,179, filed Mar. 19, 1999, for a System of Stringed Musical Instruments with Substitutable Fingerboards, there are several locking systems provided for releasably locking a fingerboard to the neck of the musical instrument. In general, each of those locking system normally rely upon a transverse slidable shifting movement of the fingerboard with respect to the neck of the musical instrument to cause at least one or more transversely arranged locking elements to engage the fingerboard in the transverse movement. In contrast, the present invention provides a highly unique and very effective locking system which was heretofore unavailable.
In accordance with the present invention, longitudinally arranged interlocking elements are located on the upper surface of the neck of the musical instrument and on the underside of the fingerboard. These locking elements may adopt the form of a single longitudinally arranged upstanding locking element on the neck of the musical instrument and a corresponding longitudinally arranged groove on the underside of the fingerboard. Moreover, the locking element is preferably wedge-shaped and the corresponding groove is similarly wedge-shaped. Thus, the upstanding locking element is provided with an upwardly and outwardly tapering side wall edges and the groove is similarly formed with upwardly and outwardly tapering walls to receive the corresponding edges of the locking element. In addition, the wedge-shaped upstanding locking element is provided with a double taper, in that the overall transverse width increases from one end of the locking element to the other. In like manner, the groove on the underside of the fingerboard increases with the same dimensional rate so as to again correspondingly receive the upstanding locking element.
It is important for the wedge-shaped upstanding locking element to extend all the way to the end of the neck adjacent to the head of the musical instrument, that is, until it effectively abuts the nut. It is also desirable to have the opposite end of the wedge-shaped upstanding locking element and, of course, the corresponding groove extend to the opposite ends of the neck. However, in one embodiment, the groove and upstanding locking element can terminate at a point spaced from the end of the neck adjacent to the body of the musical instrument.
By virtue of the above-identified construction, the fingerboard is initially shifted transversely or laterally from one longitudinal side of the neck of the musical instrument until it is disposed over the neck of the musical instrument. At that point, the fingerboard can be lowered to engage the upstanding locking element in the groove of the fingerboard. The fingerboard is then shifted longitudinally so that the double wedge locking element tightly engages the correspondingly shaped and sized groove on the underside of the fingerboard. As this occurs, the fingerboard will slide longitudinally toward the head of the musical instrument where it will come to rest, that is, until the end of the fingerboard is located in closely spaced relationship to or otherwise abutting relationship at the neck of the musical instrument.
When the groove and the locking element is formed with the proper tolerance, the fingerboard will precisely come to rest when the fingerboard is in proper marginal registration with the neck of the musical instrument. In addition, the fingerboard will also come to rest when it is in a proper longitudinal position with respect to the neck of the musical instrument. The use of the dovetail construction mentioned above on the longitudinally extending interlocking element has thus been proved to be highly effective in the present invention.
It is also possible to use end locking elements if desired as, for example, an interlocking element in the nature of a ball and detent arrangement. This ball and detent arrangement, to the extent employed, precisely locks the fingerboard in marginal registration with the edges of the neck and also applies an upwardly biasing force which, in turn, further causes a greater locking force between the fingerboard and the musical instrument.
It is also possible to form the neck of the musical instrument of laminated layers as, for example, layers of plastic and wood so as to provide increased strength. Further, the neck of the musical instrument could also be formed of reinforced plastic composite materials, such as boron with epoxy resins or carbon fibers with epoxy resins, and the like. Reinforcement could also be provided by other forms of reinforced plastics as, for example, other metals and fibers along with thermoplastic or thermosetting resins.
The present invention thereby fulfills the above and other objects and advantages in the provision of both an improved musical instrument and a method for modifying the musical instrument to provide for removable fingerboards. The improved musical instrument and the method of the invention is further exemplified by the following details description and the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that this following detailed description and the accompanying drawings are set forth only for purposes of illustrating the general principles of the invention. Therefore, this following detailed description and the accompanying drawings are not to be taken in a limiting sense.